House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sent out a fundraising plea, warning that female Democratic House members could face a wipeout in the midterm elections.

Pelosi said Monday that Republican gains will decimate progress made for women’s equality in this Congress, on issues like health care reform and a fair pay law. She cautioned that a decrease in the number of women in Congress would be a setback for female leadership that would go down in history.

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POLITICO 44

“Women have the most to gain from this election. We also have the most to lose,” she wrote in a letter for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Unless we stop the Republicans, this year may be the first year in 30 years that the number of women in Congress actually decreases.”

“The stakes have never been higher. The very first bill President Barack Obama signed was our Lily Ledbetter legislation to restore the rights of women to challenge unfair pay. Democrats have continued to put women and children first, but now all of our progress could be turned back.”

“Your generous support is urgently needed to help our courageous Democratic women under attack by the Republicans and their outside groups so we can maintain our strong Democratic House Majority.”

Several freshman female members, like Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) and Betsy Markey (D-Colo.), are facing powerful male challengers. Even if several female Republican candidates are successful, it’s likely there will be fewer women in Congress overall.

Readers' Comments (42)

More of the same from progressive brain donor, stroke victim, Nancy. More identity politics. Its not what you can do, its who you are, who your parents are, color of your skin, XY or XX , bucketize, divide and control.

Maybe we should have quotas Nancy. Do away with reps based on states and population. Reps based on racial make up and sex of only. 1/2 of all reps must be woman, certain percentage black women, certain percentage asian etc.

Nancy and Harry are directly responsible for the distaste being shown by the voters for incumbants. They have no one to blame but themselves. Rabid partisanship by the leaders paying no attention to the electorate or even some of their own members is coming home to roost.

Pelosi has done for women in Congress what Obama has done for blacks in the presidency - set it back decades. Each has shown how over matched they are for their respective offices. Each has negatively affected the lives of ordinary Americans and shown a disdain for them at the same time. Afraid of what conservatives will do when they take control? Don't be. If you move up on your own merit and not just because you're part of some special group, you'll be fine. But quota hires are out.

female Democratic House members could face a wipeout in the midterm elections.

There could be an increase in female members of Congress due to the feminization of the Republican Party.

In fact, Republicans appear to be on track to be the first party to nominate a woman for the Presidency. And Sarah Palin will be able to bring new Republican Senators to the Senate, even if she loses the Presidency to Barack Obama in 2012.

What if the gender gap disappears?

With Obama helping Republicans stack the House and Senate with Republicans between now and 2016, the Republican President of 2017 will be supported by Republican control of 3/4 of the Congress and State Houses. Republicans will be in position to re-write the U.S. Constitution in 2016. Every issue that has plagued American politics since 1932 will be resolved in favor of the Republican ideologues. There will no longer be a role for the Democrat Party.

If things play out the way Republican strategists seem to expect, the Democrat Party will be replaced by the Libertarian Party. After 2016, the Democrat Party may well go the way of the Whigs. Then, our electorial choices will effectively be limited to center right and extreme right.

Pelosi said Monday that "Republican gains will decimate progress made for women’s equality in this Congress"

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Uh....no. You Mrs. Pelosi....you and your kind are what have decimated our progress. I am a business person. I work 60 hours per week. I make an excellent income. I don't need folks like you taking from those who work and giving to those who don't. Please....just go away.

Nancy dear..the only women who are going to lose are the radicals that helped you and the rest of the DNC spit on Hillary Clinton in favor of Kenyan Barry. They all deserve to lose for backing this Pied Piper and for backing you too.

Now comes payback for Hillary and for many of us who left the DNC when it was hijacked by radicals in 2008. E joined the Tea Party nd then you continued to demonize us and spit on usand call us all kinds of vile names ..

So if women lose Nancy - you are a big part of the reason. The rest is because of that imposter in the White House but you know all about that because you changed the wording when he was sworn in !!!!